The invention relates to a drum cart for allowing the drummer to hold and move a bass drum.
The well known bass drum has a diameter of approximately 65 cm and a shell height of approximately 55 cm. The drum is covered with cattle skin, leather or a synthetic material, which is tensioned by a rope, as with tenor drums, or with hoops and clamping screws. The bass drum is of Ottoman origin and has been used since the 17th century in military training and ceremonies, but particularly for marching into battle, for intimidating the enemy and raising the morale of the native troops, and us a privilege of the Janissary (an elite unit similar to the French Foreign Legion, recruited from Christian children taken from the enemy). Soon after their introduction, the exciting oriental music with the threatening tone of the bass drum, the wailing wind instruments and ringing cymbals conquered the courts of Europe and revitalized marching music. Further, it has been elevated into the Pantheon of classical music by the works of Mozart (Entführung aus dem Serail) and Haydn (Military Symphony).
In the Southern States of the United States of America, where the rhythmical folk music of the descendents of the once deported Africans flourished, the African drum music, intertwined with the marching and dance music of the European immigrants, developed into independent Jazz in the streets of 19th century New Orleans. The itinerant street music later became ballroom and dance music and emerged as a stage attraction. With this, the bass drum of the jazz orchestra became the percussion and the central point of the orchestra. In the center of percussion, there is the resonant skin and a covered circular disc of the bass drum. The bass drum is set upright on the stage facing the public, and is surrounded by a fixedly assembled group of percussion instruments, e.g. a snare drum, several tom-toms and diverse single cymbals and a double cymbal. In this, the bass drum with the resonant skin covering, not only serves for the direct and effective exposure of the audience to sonic waves, but also for grabbing their attention and displaying the name of the orchestra. By way of a pedal known as a foot machine, the drummer kicks the drum head on one side of the bass drum and so leaves his hands free to sound the remaining percussion instruments.
A distant relative of the bass drum which is beaten on one side, is the kettle drum. The kettle drum is an instrument which arrived via central Europe from Asia in the 18th century and has since become a classical musical instrument of military, operatic and symphony orchestras.
According to the above description, the bass drum is used to make music when stationary and on the move in processions, folk festivals and parades of all types. For marching, the bass drum, which weighs approximately 10 kg and is suspended by two straps around the shoulders of the drummer, is held against the stomach of the drummer. This forces the drummer to lean backwards when walking and standing due to the projection of the centre of gravity. In addition to the considerable strain on the spinal column, the back muscles and stomach muscles caused by the pressure and bending, the drum also restricts the forward vision of the drummer and blocks the necessary view of the ground or floor required for safe walking.
To reduce these disadvantages and make the instrument accessible to persons of a constitutionally less athletic make-up, the company Musikhaus Gasser of 6280 Hochdorf in Switzerland, proposed a chassis for holding and moving a bass drum. The chassis has two wheels and two rollers, and also a stomach plate and a hip strap for attaching the chassis to the drummer.
The disadvantage of this solution of the prior art is that, although it reduces the strain on the drummer, it has no effect on improving visibility.